1. Broad description

Statistics Netherlands (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, or CBS) releases its publishableinformation in its output database StatLine on the Internet, www.cbs.nl/en/statline. Usually, this information takes the form of multidimensional tables, or data cubes. These tabulations are safe from the perspective of statistical confidentiality protection. The user selects and processes his own views on these data cubes. Occasionally, statistical work is commissionedand paid for by third parties, resulting in data cubes.

2. Why is it good practice?

Data cubes are the main vehicle for releasing all statistical information. Statistical

confidentiality protection is applied in a routine fashion. Moreover, data cubes can be easily

linked and compared on a meso level. Conversely, a lack of coherence is easily discovered. Adding

data cubes to the StatLine database ensures that statistical information is produced

and published to serve the public at large.

3. Target audience

Data cubes are primarily made and used to serve the public at large. Even if they are produced

and paid for by a third party, as a matter of policy the resulting data cubes are available for all.

4. Detailed description

Statistics Netherlands has published several papers on the art of ‘cubism’.

5. Supporting legislation

Three sections of the Statistics Netherlands Act (www.cbs.nl/en-GB/menu/organisatie/statistics-netherlans-act.htm) are relevant, pertaining to its general public task, its commissioned work, and the precondition of statistical confidentiality.

Section 3 states that it is the legal task of Statistics Netherlands “to carry out statistical research for the government for practice, policy and research purposes and to publish the statistics compiled on the basis of such research”.According to section 5, “CBS may occasionally carry out statistical work for third parties.” Section 37 reads:

“1. The data received by the director general in connection with the performance of his duties to implement this act shall be used solely for statistical purposes.

2. The data referred to in the first subsection shall not be provided to any persons other than those charged with carrying out the duties ofthe CBS.

3. The data referred to in the first subsection shall only be published in such a way that no recognisable data can be derived from them about an individual person, household, company or institution, unless, in the case of data relating to a company or institution, thereare good reasons to assume that the company or institution concernedwill not have any objections to the publication.”

6. Strengths

Statistics Netherlands is in full control as far as statistical disclosure protection is concerned.

The user can rely on the professional quality of the statistical information. It is rewarding for

staff to produce information that is in demand. The data cubes make it ever easier to relate

various bits of statistical information to each other. Experiences with commissioned work may be

fed back into the standard statistical programme as an indication of user preferences.

7. Weaknesses

By definition data cubes are less informative and less flexible than microdata (unit level

records) for researchers. As commissioned work has to be paid for, data cubes may appear to